The Category 6 jack is a receptacle that accepts a Category 6 plug, and is frequently used to electrically interconnect telecommunication equipment. There are several standards that dictate how the Category 6 jack is constructed and performs. Two of which are TIA/EIA 568 B and FCC part 68. The TIA standard is largely a cabling standard to allow for proper installation and performance criteria. The FCC standard is a legal standard that dictates physical characteristics of the plug and jack, such as form factor.
To meet jack performance requirements as dictated by the TIA standard, the tines of the jack must be as short as possible. To provide satisfactory electrical characteristics for the Category 6 jack, it is best that the tines be as short as possible. However, the shorter the tines the less resiliency will be demonstrated by the tines. This can create a problem when mating the Category 6 jack with a non-Category 6 plugs as required by the TIA standard discussed below.
In particular, the TIA standard requires the Category 6 jack be usable with legacy plugs (e.g., 6 position wide-2 contact plates or 6P-2C, 6 position wide-6 contact plates or 6P-6C, and so on). Such use can occur during testing after installation of Category 6 jacks when a test meter having an RJ-11 style plug (6P-4C) is plugged into one of the Category 6 jacks. Also, such use can occur when using a Category 6 jack to receive other style plugs, such as a typical phone plug (6P-2C) used for voice transmissions. When using these legacy plugs with the Category 6 jack, some of the tines of the jack encounter large amounts of deflection. While the tines of a Category 6 jack receiving a Category 6 plug usually experience a relatively small deflection, use of a legacy plug with the Category 6 jack may result in a much larger deflection. This is because the older style plugs do not have cut outs where there would be a recessed conductive plate or opening on an RJ-45 style plug (Category 5, 5e or 6). However, to provide sufficient resiliency of the tines to allow such a large amount of deflection without permanent deformation, the tines must have a length so long that electrical performance is degraded.
The FCC standard specifies that the contact force between the Category 6 jack and plug when mated be a minimum of 100 grams (0.22 pounds). This is largely to ensure good electrical contact between the plug and the jack. If the Category 6 jack has tines long enough to provide the resiliency needed to accommodate legacy plugs without deformation, as discussed above, providing the necessary contact force becomes a problem since increasing the resiliency of the tine tends to cause the tine to generate lower contact force with the plug contact. The increased length also degrades electrical performance.
As such, it is desirable to provide a Category 6 jack with tines as short as possible to improve electrical performance of the jack, while still providing the resiliency to accommodate legacy plugs and the contact force needed to meet the TIA and FCC standards.
This invention relates to an electrical connector, and in particular, to a jack used for telecommunication equipment.
The present invention is embodied in a connector jack usable with a plug having a plurality of plug contacts. The jack includes a body having a receptacle sized and configured to receive the plug therein, a plurality of contact tines, each having a contact portion within the receptacle positioned to be engaged by a correspondingly positioned one of the plug contacts when the plug is inserted into the receptacle, and a plurality of resilient spring members. Each of the spring members is configured to apply a reaction force to one of the contact tines when engaged by the correspondingly positioned plug contact in a direction to generate a supplemental contact force between the contact tine and the correspondingly positioned plug contact.
In the illustrated embodiment, the contact tines each having a first side and an opposite second side, with the first side of each contact tine having a contact portion within the receptacle positioned to be engaged by the correspondingly positioned one of the plug contacts when the plug is inserted into the receptacle. Each spring member is positioned adjacent to the second side of a correspondingly positioned one of the contact tines. The spring members each have at least a portion positioned within the receptacle and adjacent to the second side of the correspondingly positioned one of the contact tines.
In the illustrated embodiment, each spring member is configured to apply a force against the corresponding contact tine when in a deflected position sufficient to at least assist in moving the corresponding contact tine to a return position when the plug is removed from the receptacle.
The tine contact portion of each contact tine has a tine contact first portion and a tine contact second portion, and the spring member has a spring engagement portion. The tine contact first portion is positioned for contact by the corresponding one of the plug contacts when the plug is inserted into the receptacle and the tine contact second portion is positioned for engagement with the spring engagement portion. The tine contact second portion includes a pair of lateral members spaced apart sufficiently to receive and retain therebetween the spring engagement portion to limit lateral movement thereof when the tine contact second portion is in engagement with the spring engagement portion.
The tine contact second portion is elongated and the lateral members extend longitudinally along at least a portion of the tine contact second portion and define a laterally limited, longitudinally extending space therebetween. The space is substantially unobstructed to permit sliding movement of the spring engagement portion through the space as the contact tine is moved.
The tine contact second portion further has a recess sized to capture the spring engagement portion to restrict lateral movement of the spring engagement portion. The tine contact second portion of each tine has a bend therein at least in part forming the recess. The lateral members also at least in part form the recess. The spring engagement portion is a rounded, free end portion of the spring member.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.